Like It Never Happened

Stereotypes, sexuality, and destructive rumors collide in this smart YA novel for fans of Sara Zarr’s Story of a Girl, Siobhan Vivian’s The List, and E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

When Rebecca Rivers lands the lead in her school’s production of The Crucible, she gets to change roles in real life, too. She casts off her old reputation, grows close with her four rowdy cast-mates, and kisses the extremely handsome Charlie Lamb onstage. Even Mr. McFadden, the play’s critical director, can find no fault with Rebecca.

Though “The Essential Five” vow never to date each other, Rebecca can’t help her feelings for Charlie, leaving her both conflicted and lovestruck. But the on and off-stage drama of the cast is eclipsed by a life-altering accusation that threatens to destroy everything…even if some of it is just make believe.

1. Blue Bic ballpoint pens Everything I write, I first write by hand, and these cheap, no-nonsense pens have served me well since high school. Occasionally someone will gift me with a fancier writing utensil—which can be nice for letters and lists—but for frantically writing three thousand words of narrative in one sitting, I need these. 2. This guy Hank and I first met on February 3rd, 2011. It was my first winter in Canada (I’m originally from Oregon) and I thought getting a puppy might ease my homesickness. (A strategy I totally recommend.) I fell in love with Hank at first sight. He was slower to warm to me, but once I proved my ability to open a package of hotdogs, he agreed to stick around.

3. A lot of coffee My husband is really horrified by my daily habit of downing two or three cups of coffee before breakfast. My parents do it too. I guess it’s a family tradition.

4. A lot of chocolate This is another addiction of mine. I can’t really remember the last time I went twenty- four hours without chocolate.

5. Enormous bookshelves These shelves are from IKEA and have some masculine Swedish name, like Sven. They get the job done.

6. A bathtub. I’ve lived in some pretty tiny apartments but have so far never had to go without a tub. I’m a fan of reading in the bath—yes, even when using an e-reader, and no, I’ve never dropped it in.

7. The maroon leather jacket pictured here. I bought this in Kensington Market in Toronto about four years ago. I feel best equipped to deal with the world when wearing this thing.

8. This hot sauce This is just a good investment. If your food doesn’t taste like anything, you can make it taste like habanero chiles!

9. Summertime Winter really upsets me. I don’t get any kind of cozy and/or sentimental feelings thinking about snow or scarves or pumpkin-flavored beverages. I’d like to live someplace where it’s always a minimum of seventy degrees.

10. Margaret Atwood’s Cat’s Eye I mean, technically I lived the first twenty years of my life without this book, but since then I’ve read it every year. If you ever suspect you’ve forgotten what it feels like to be a kid, read this.

Emily Adrian was born in 1989 in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Portland State University, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she worked as a receptionist while secretly writing books.

Emily currently lives in Toronto with her husband and their dog named Hank. Like It Never Happened is her debut novel.